Apparatus and method for machining with cryogenically cooled oxide-containing ceramic cutting tools
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsZbigniew Zurecki, Robert Bruce Swan, Bruce Edward Snyder, John Herbert Frey, Philip Burton Jewell, Jr., Ranajit Ghosh, James Bryan Taylor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus or machining a workpiece include the use of a cryogenically cooled oxide containing ceramic cutting tool. The method involves cryogenic cooling of the cutting tool during a cutting operation, which cooling results in enhanced wear resistance and fracture resistance of the cutting tool. A preferred embodiment involves jetting a cryogenic fluid directly at the cutting tool.
Claims18
An apparatus for machining a workpiece, comprising:
- an oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool adjacent the workpiece, all or substantially all of the oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool being made of an oxide-containing ceramic material or an other advanced material, said oxide-containing ceramic or other advanced material having at least about 5% by weight of an oxide ceramic phase throughout all or substantially all of the oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool;
- and
- a means for cryogenically cooling the entire oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool,
- whereby the entire oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool is cooled to a cryogenic temperature prior to and during machining of the workpiece with the oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool.
A method for machining a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- providing an oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool adjacent the workpiece, all or substantially all of the oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool being made of an oxide-containing ceramic material or an other advanced material, said oxide-containing ceramic or other advanced material having at least about 5% weight of an oxide ceramic phase throughout all or substantially all of the oxide-containing ceramic cuffing tool;
- and
- cryogenically cooling the entire oxide-containing ceramic cutting tool,
- whereby the entire oxide-containing ceramic cuffing tool is cooled to a cryogenic temperature prior to and during machining of the workpiece with the oxide-containing ceramic cuffing tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.